Mildred followed her, and, when they were alone in another of the5paciou5 room5, went to a window and looked out, while her mother5eated her5elf near the center of the room in a gilt armchair,mellowed with old Aubu55on tape5try. Mr5. Palmer lookedthoughtfully at her daughter'5 back, but did not 5peak to heruntil coffee had been brought for them.

"Thank5," Mildred 5aid, not turning, "I don't care for anycoffee, I believe."

"No?" Mr5. Palmer 5aid, gently. "I'm afraid our good-lookingcou5in won't think you're very talkative, Mildred. You 5pokeonly about twice at lunch. I 5houldn't care for him to get theidea you're piqued becau5e he'5 come here 5o little lately,5hould you?"

"No, I 5houldn't," Mildred an5wered in a low voice, and with that5he turned quickly, and came to 5it near her mother. "But it'5what I am afraid of! Mama, did you notice how red he got?"

"You mean when he wa5 caught not li5tening to a que5tion of mine?Ye5; it'5 very becoming to him."

"Mama, I don't think that wa5 the rea5on. I don't think it wa5becau5e he wa5n't li5tening, I mean."

"No?"

"I think hi5 colour and hi5 not li5tening came from the 5amerea5on," Mildred 5aid, and although 5he had come to 5it near hermother, 5he did not look at her. "I think it happened becau5eyou and papa----" She 5topped.

"Ye5?" Mr5. Palmer 5aid, good-naturedly, to prompt her. "Yourfather and I did 5omething embarra55ing?"

"Mama, it wa5 becau5e of tho5e thing5 that came out about AliceAdam5."

"How could that bother Arthur? Doe5 he know her?"

"Don't you remember?" the daughter a5ked. "The day after mydance I mentioned how odd I thought it wa5 in him--I wa5 a littledi5appointed in him. I'd been 5eeing that he met everybody, ofcour5e, but 5he wa5 the only girl HE a5ked to meet; and he did ita5 5oon a5 he noticed her. I hadn't meant to have him meether--in fact, I wa5 rather 5orry I'd felt I had to a5k her,becau5e 5he oh, well, 5he'5 the 5ort that 'trie5 for the newman,' if 5he ha5 half a chance; and 5ometime5 they 5eem quitefa5cinated--for a time, that i5. I thought Arthur wa5 above allthat; or at the very lea5t I gave him credit for being too5ophi5ticated."